Old Rhine Bridge

On the 4th of September 2008 German and Swiss posts have emitted a joint stamp issue sharing the same design and picturing an old bridge over the Rhine river.


With a length of 200 meters, this bridge is the longest covered wooden bridge in Europe. It connects the German town of Bad Säckingen with the Swiss canton of Aargau. Existence of a wooden bridge in this area can be tracked back to the 13th century. This first construction and many subsequent ones were destroyed because of disasters or wars.


Today's bridge construction emerged 200 years ago and is used since then as a frontier between Germany and Switzerland. Since 1979 it is reserved exclusively to cyclists and pedestrians.

Stamp Issue: 2008-09-04

100 Years Bridge Oberndorf - Laufen

Oberndorf has witnessed a large number of devastating floods during the last centuries. The first record of a bridge being washed away dates back to 1316. The damage was often caused by flotsam which was caught between the wooden bridge pylons and forced the water to dam up. Ultimately the bridges were often just washed away. During the last decade of the 19th century four floods cased great damage, and a decision was made to relocate the town to a more elevated plateau.


The Bavarian Laufen and Austrian Oberndorf developed the plan to construct a stable bridge made of stone and iron incorporating a greater span. As the bridge was in close proximity to both the old town square of Laufen and the new centre of Oberndort, an aesthetic design was implemented.

The two-pylon construction had three apertures, the largest of which was on the Austrian side to allow for shipping needs. The construction was made of 648 tonnes of Martin River iron ore, with a chain-like curved upper cable and a straight lower cable. The facing of the pillars and decorative elements required an additional 67 tonnes of material to ensure a pleasing design. Eagles with spread wings were placed upon the bridge portals, adding to the elegant impression of the construction. The bridge was inaugurated on the 2nd of June 1903 in a collective festival of inhabitants from Laufen and Oberndorf.

Stamp Issue: 2003-06-03

50th Anniversary - Auckland Harbour Bridge

Fifty years since its opening, Auckland Harbour Bridge is an icon of New Zealand’s landscape. Replacing a 40-kilometre drive or a cross harbour ferry ride, it’s been key to growth in the region – transforming North Shore’s seaside villages and rural communities into a thriving city, and opening Auckland City and points north and south to previously unimaginable opportunities for expansion and development.

Join us in celebrating the anniversary of this remarkable structure’s opening, with four gummed stamps, one self-adhesive stamp and a first day cover that are bound to be snapped up by Kiwis and international collectors alike.


50c – Opening Day 1959
On 30 May 1959, Governor-General Lord Cobham officially opened the box truss bridge after a week of celebrations that included a crossing by thousands of pedestrians before it was opened to vehicles. Retailers prepared for the event with ‘bridge specials’ and competitions, while parades, fashion shows and dances were held to welcome the new landmark.

$1.00 – Our Bridge 2009
By the late 1960s it was apparent that the Bridge would soon reach its capacity. To cope with the growth in traffic volumes, Japanese company IHI clipped two new lanes to each side of the bridge using the existing pier supports. The work was completed in 1969, with the only major maintenance required since being a girder strengthening project in 2006.

$1.50 – Our Icon 1961
From the day it opened until 1984, Auckland Harbour Bridge was a toll road, charging 25 cents per car with the aim of recovering the costs
of construction. After one year of operation, 4.9 million vehicles had crossed the bridge, a figure that increased to 10.6 million in 1966 and reached more than 60 million in 2008. To help manage the traffic flow, the world’s first ‘moveable lane barrier’ was installed in 1990 – it’s now moved four times a day to create an extra lane at peak times.

$2.00 – Our Link 2009
Today, the Auckland Harbour Bridge is an essential link between the North Shore and Auckland City – providing commuters, travellers
and tourists with an easy, direct link to motorways stretching north and south. It’s also a visitor destination, with bridge climbing and bungy jumping experiences now on offer to those with an adventurous spirit. Care to try ‘the fastest way of getting to see Waitemata Harbour’ yourself?

Stamp Issue: 2009-05-01

Philippine Colonial Bridges I

The early history of bridge building in the country is attributed to both the Spanish missionaries and conquistadors, who along with their task of converting, pacifying and subjugating souls were also responsible for building communities.


Puente de Isabel II (Province of Cavite)
The bridge was built by Brother Matias Carbonell OSRA in 1857 and situated along Calle Liko and spans the Rio de Imus linking the town of Imus to Bacoor.

Puente Dampol (Province of Nueva Vizcaya)
The bridge was built by the Spanish conquistadors in 1739 and situated in the southernmost portion of the Cagayan Valley.

Puente de Barit (Province of locos Norte)
The bridge is situated along the Laoag-Bacarra Nacional Road. Nothing much is known about its heritage, but it is a beautiful piece of civic infrastructure that serves as a very important link to towns of north of Laoag.

Puente de Blanco (Binondo)
The bridge is also known as Puente de Binondo, built in 1796. The bridges traverses Calle San Fernando linking Plaza Calderon de la Barca now known as Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz to San Nicholas district. The Maestro de obras was Policarpio Faxardo with Phelipe de Mesa as sobrestante or foreman.


Puente de Malagonlong (Province of Quezon)
It is the most spectacular bridge from the Spanish Colonial era. The construction was started in 1841 and finished in 1850. It links Tayabas with the coastal town of Pagbilao, then an important link to the coast.

Puente del Fuerza Santiago (Intramuros)
The construction of the bridge started in 1591 and was completed in 1634 under the direction of Leonardo Iturrino. The bridge was built west of the gate leading to Fuerza Santiago. Today both the moat and the bridge have been fully restored to give visitors a partial glimpse of the history of Fuerza Santiago.

Puente de Mabacao (Maragondon)
The date of construction and the name of the builders remains unknown. It spans a rather wide gorge and is supported by three masonry piers resting on solid rocks.

Puente de Busay (Province of Albay)
The bridge is located along the Guinobatan-Camalig national road which straddles the border of the two towns overlooking either the majestic Mount Mayon on its eastern side or the spectaculars Busay Waterfalls.

Stamp Issue: 2007-05-16

Architecture of the Dong Nationality

Dong Nationality, a minority nationality in southwest China, has a population of about 2.5 million who mainly inhabit Guizhou, Hunan and Guangxi provinces and autonomous region. The Dong people are not only good at singing and dancing, but also experts in knitting and building.

The drum towers are in the shape of a wood pagoda. Without a single nail or rivet, the towers could be three-to ten-storey high. The tower is spacious inside and has wood rails circling each floor. There is a calabash or crane on the top of the tower symbolizing auspiciousness and peace. The delicately wrought protruding eaves look as if to fly and leap. The square in front of, and the stage connected with the tower are the centre of celebration activities.


Wind and Rain Bridge, also called flower bridge, is another unique building of Dong people. As the weather in the region is changeable, Dong people build corridors on the bridges so passers-by could take shelter from the sun, wind and rain or take a rest. So the bridge is called wind and rain bridge. On the corridor and eaves of pavilions are carved with paintings featuring coloured and vivid figures, mountains and rivers, patterns and animal, displaying the Dong's national characteristics as well as their diligence and wisdom. Wind and rain bridges are the art treasures of Chinese wood architecture.

Stamp Issue: 1997-06-02

Architecture of Ancient China: Bridges

Zhaozhou Bridge also known as Anchi Bridge is the world's oldest open-spandrel stone segmental arch bridge cross the Jiao River, about 50 m long with a central span of 37.37 m. It stands 7.3 m tall and has a width of 9 m. Credited to the design of a craftsman named Li Chun, the bridge was constructed in the years 595-605 during the Sui Dynasty (581–618). Located in the southern part of Hebei Province, it is the oldest standing bridge in China. In the next 1400 years, the bridge survived at least eight wars, ten major floods and numerous earthquakes, the nearest of which being the 7.2 degree Xingtai Earthquake in 1966. Yet, the support structure remains intact and the bridge is still in use. Only the ornamental railings have been replaced every few hundred years.


Precious Belt Bridge is a Chinese stone arch bridge located near the city of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. The Precious Belt Bridge is located at the intersection of the Grand Canal and Dantai Lake, about 2.5 kilometer south east of Suzhou. The first construction of the bridge dates back to the year 816 AD, during the mid Tang Dynasty. The bridge's span is 317 m long and has a width of 4.1 m, with a total of 53 arches in its span. The three central arches are enlarged to allow for the passage of - by historical standards - larger river vessels without masts. The average span of each arch is 4.6 m.


Anlan Bridge is suspension bridge with Rope made from bamboo, crosses the Minjiang River bestriding the water of the Inner Canal and Outer Canal to connect Erwang Temple with the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.Anlan Bridge is 261 meters long. It is supported by wooden pegs and stone piers. The bridge crosses the river by using bamboo ropes. The bridge is secured by bamboo ropes on two sides, in length of which are about 500 meters each. When the bridge was restored, steel ropes were used instead of bamboo ropes. The wooden pegs which supported the cable were changed to ferroconcrete pegs, and the length of the bridge become 240 meters.


Chengyang Bridge also known as Yongji Bridge or Panlong Bridge, spans the Linxi River of Sanjiang County. Built in 1916, it is 64.4 meters long, 3.4 meters wide and 10.6 meters high. Constructed with wood and stones, the surface of the bridge is paved with wooden boards and both sides are inlayed with railings. On the bridge itself, there are five tower-like kiosks with 'horns' and eaves which resemble the flapping wings of birds. It is the best one among the wind and rain bridges in Dong stockade villages. At present, it is the largest wind and rain bridge also it is the crystal of Dong people's wisdom; it is one of the artistic precious things of Chinese wood architecture.

Stamp Issue: 1962-05-15

Interchanges in Beijing

Interchanges are multi-layer flyovers that have been built over the past several decades. With interchanges. Vehicles and pedestrians from all directions can cross each other by their own way without waiting for traffic light.


Interchanges generally fall into two categories, the simple flyovers and complicated interchanges. The former can only ensure the cross of vehicle at both the upper and lower layers, while the latter can guarantee the cross of vehicles at various layers and thus need more slip roads and occupy more land.


Interchanges have been developing rapidly over the past several decades since they can prevent vehicles from reducing speed and starting again at crossings and bring about considerable social-economic gains. China started to vigorously develop interchanges in mid-1970s. The first interchange in Beijing is the Fuxingmen Interchange which was built in 1974. Today, there are several hundreds of interchanges along the second, third and fourth ring roads of the city. In terms of architectural structure, the interchanges, with two to four layers, include simply flyovers and those in the shape of cloverleaf and butterfly, with H-and Y-type and single-column bridge piers.

At present, the largest interchange in China is the Siyuan Interchange in Beijing. It is a four-layer large interchange composed of 26 bridges, with the span between the single-column bridge piers being the largest in interchanges of the country. The bridges of the Siyuan Interchange, which covers 400,000 square meters of land, have a total length of 2.8 kilometers and a total area of 40,000 square meters.



Stamp Issue: 1995-06-20

The Inauguration of Taiwan’s Second Southern Freeway

The Second Southern Freeway, from Hsinhua, Tainan to Chiuju, Pingtung, is to be completed and opened in February 2000. This is the final link in southern Taiwan's freeway network, which will bring prosperity to this area and balance development in the region.


The Second Southern Freeway runs for a total of about 134 kilometers, through Tainan County, Tainan City, Kaohsiung County, Kaohsiung City and Pingtung County, and includes the main freeway, the Kaohsiung branch and the Tainan branch.

The Kaoping River cable-stayed bridge is situated at the border of Kaohsiung and Pingtung Country. The total length of the bridge is 2,617 meters. The western section of it has a nonsymmetrical cable-stayed bridge design. The pylon, its main structure, is a single tower with an A-frame design, with a height of 183.5 meters. It has a side span of 180 meters that uses a prestressed concrete box beam. Its main spain is an extremely long 330 meters, and uses a completely welded steel-frame box beam. The middle section of the bridge, for which a balanced-cantilever design has been employed, has long spans. The eastern section of the bridge, which employs an advancing-shoring design, has spans of medium length. This magnificent and powerful design of the bridge as a whole is a triumph both of structural mechanics and esthetics.

The NT$5.00 stamp features a close-up of the pylon of the bridge to show that it is an important landmark of the freeway.

The NT$12.00 stamp features a bird's-eye view of the interchange of the Tainan freeway.

The NT$25.00 miniature sheet features a bird's-eye view of the bridge.

Stamp Issue: 2000-02-02

The Inanguration of Taiwan’s Second Northern Freeway

To reduce the increasingly heavy traffic load on the northern section of the Sun Yat-sen Freeway, the Executive Yuan approved construction of a Second Northern Freeway in 1984. Construction started in 1987 and the freeway was scheduled to be completed and opened in late August of 1997.


The Directorate General of Posts plans to print a pair of Commemorative Stamps on the Opening of the Second Northern Freeway of Taiwan, one showing the freeway crossing over the Bitan Bridge of the Shindian River and the other a view of the Interchange in Hsinchu.


The total length of the Second Northern Freeway is about 117 kilometers, and includes the following sections (1) the main freeway, which runs along the edge of the east side mountains of northern Taiwan and the South edge of metropolitan Taipei. It branches out from the Sun Yat-sen Freeway near Shijr, and connects to the Interchange of the Hsinchu system at the southern edge of the Hsinchu Science-Based Industrial Park, which connects to the Sun Yat-sen Freeway, (2) the inner circle, which branches out from the main freeway in the area near Yingge, goes through Taoyuan and connects to the airport interchange of the Sun Yat-sen Freeway, serving as the second express road providing access to the Chiang Kai-shek International Airport; and (3) the Taipei spur, which branches out from the main line in the area near Mucha and connects to existing and planned expressway systems of Taipei City.

Stamp Issue: 1997-08-26

Bridges from Algeria

The city of Constantine situated in the north of Algeria is characterized by a particular geography. Based on a huge rock separated in its middle by the Rhummel River, it conceals numerous bridges that were built to connect both parts of the city. As well their particular aspect, these bridges are real art works.

The bridge of Sidi M'cid (10,00 Dinars): named also the suspension bridge, it was conceived the French engineer, Ferdinand Arnaudin. Inagurated on April 19th, 1912 in aim to connect the Kasbah to the new hospital and to the War Memorial, it was constructed in iron and cast, measuring 164 meters long and dominating the Rhummel River on 175 meters above the stream. Wide of 5 meters 70, it bears the load of 17 tons. Down from Sidi M'cid, the sight is wonderful and extended far off towards the gorges of the city and the Hamma valey.

The bridge of Sidi Rached (15,00 Dinars): The works of constructing this bridge were lauched in 1907 by Boisnier, a specialist of the big bridges. The bridge of Sidi Rached is a huge and impressive accumulation of rock wrapping the south of the city. Established on 27 arc of dressed stone among which a principal arc of 70 meters of opening and 105 meters high, it was during its building one of the biggest stony bridges in the world. Measuring 447 meters long and 12 meters wide, it allows to lie the city centre with the district of the station and gives access to the road going out southward. With its ornamental construction, the bridge of Sidi Rached symbolized majestically the city on postcards.

El Kantara Bridge (20.00 Dinars): The bridge named El Kantara constitutes the main access road to the city. During the year 1185 all the bridges built by the Roman were destroyed, however, only the bridge of El Katara was reconditioned. In 1304, the same bridge was demolished again to be restored in 1792. Further to the passage of an infantry detachment, El Kantara collapsed on March 18th, 1857. But it was reconstructed in 1864 to connect the old rock city, as Constantine was called, and the national street to the road of Mansourah. The bridge of El Kantara was a bow of cast iron measuring 128 meters in length and raised 125 meters upright and dominating the Rhummel valey.

The bridge of the Medersa (38.00 Dinars): this bridge built between 1917 and 1925 is reserved to the pedestrians. It measures 125 meters of lenght and 2 meters 40 of wide. It connects the district of the station with the city centre via the flight of the stairs or the elvator of the Medersa (school) situated in the middle road of the bridge of Sidi Rached and that of El Kantara. The bridge of the Medersa, ex Perregaux, named at present the bridge Mellah Slimane, reflects the technique of suspension bridges and it is a model of Sidi M'cid Bridge. During the year 2002, this bridge was subjected to a big operation of refubishment.

Stamp Issue: 2008-11-26